Meanwhile, as an officer's wife, Kate will be away from the spotlight. The 29-year-old has been invited to join the wives' club at RAF Valley.

Support from other women in a similar situation will be important. Only they will really understand the difficulties of having a partner, like William, in a high-pressure job.

Other wives may also provide a social network for Kate if she goes through a lengthy separation from William.

It's emerged he may be posted to the Falkland Islands to serve for two and a half months as part of his training period.

In the meantime, the Duchess will only conduct public engagements with her husband, in a move that royal sources claim is modelled on Camilla, who insisted on a 'supporting role' only after her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005.

Her decision has the Prince's seal of approval, as he has asked aides to keep her commitments to a minimum.

Consequently, there are only a few events pencilled into her diary in the upcoming months.

Definite dates following their honeymoon include important events such as Trooping The Colour and the Duke of Edinburgh's 90th birthday.